He laughs and shakes his head. “I have no doubt. I was letting you go first.”
“It’s okay. Dig in.”
He walks over, invading my space, and we both reach for the mashed potato spoon at the same time. Our hands connect, and I do my best to ignore the surge of electricity that shoots up my arm.
“Oh, sorry,” he says.
“No, go ahead.” I release the spoon and move towards the table. It doesn’t dawn on me that I walked away without getting any potatoes until I’m already sitting down.
Dammit.
Tanner joins us and eyes my food. “You didn’t get mashed potatoes?” he asks.
“Changed my mind,” I lie, still trying to ignore the feeling his touch left me with. A smirk spreads across his face, like he can read my mind, and I quickly shove a bite of green beans into my mouth to hide my reaction.
Throughout the rest of dinner, I watch as the man across from me continues to make my brother laugh, and I’m a little jealous at how good he is at it.
Once we’re done, I help Cody navigate his chair into the living room to get ready for the movie, and Tanner tackles the dishes.
“We’re all set for the movie,” I say from the entry to the kitchen. “You didn’t have to clean all that up. I could’ve done it.”
“It was no problem,” he says, drying his hands on a dish towel and then walking towards me. “We make a good team.”
My breath catches as he passes me, and I swallow hard when the mix of woods, amber, and the slightest hint of something floral overwhelms my senses, causing my knees to buckle.
Does he always smell this good?
“I’ll be right back. Gotta pee. Y’all good?” I stammer.
“Yeah,” Tanner says, his face twisting with a little confusion as he looks back over his shoulder. “Are you good?”
“Yeah, great,” I say, trying to slow down so it doesn’t look like I’m running away uncomfortably as I make a beeline for the hall bathroom.
Closing the door behind me, I begin to pace the small space. I need to get it together. I’m living with this man. Just because he’s absolutely incredible with my brother doesn’t mean I need to melt for him. Plenty of people are great with Cody, and I’m not swooning over them.
A couple months ago, I could barely tolerate him. Nothing has changed. Just because he’s a little nerdy and sweet doesn’t mean he’s not a fuck boy. I’m being blinded by mylove for my brother…that’s what this is. I take a few deep breaths, calm myself, and then pull my hair up into a ponytail.
Feeling a little less crazy, I walk out of the bathroom, and my eyes immediately land on Tanner. He’s leaning over my brother, and they’re looking at something on his iPad.
I clear my throat, “Y’all ready to start the movie?” I ask, sitting down on the sofa.
“Let’s do it,” Tanner says. His eyes shift between the leather recliner and the cushion next to me.
Please pick the recliner. For the love of god, please do not sit next to me.
He struts over and plops down to my left.
Shit.
I start the movie and try to relax, but I can’t. He’s sitting so close that I can smell his cologne. He laughs at something in the movie, and my stomach bottoms out again. It’s official. These feelings are insane, and I should be committed.
He shifts, spreading his legs a little, and his thigh touches mine. My gaze shifts toward him, and he’s locked in on the movie. This is all in my head. That was an accident. I move over a cushion and curl my legs up underneath me, trying to focus on the movie and my brother.
After thirty minutes, Cody looks like he’s beginning to nod off. “You ready for bed, bud?” I ask.
He begins swiping on the screen, and then after a few seconds a “Yes” comes through the device speakers.
“I’m just going to get him ready for bed, and then I’ll be back,” I say, pausing the movie.
